Olympics: From Athens 1896 to Beijing 2008 (Part II)

1920-Antwerp (Belgium) Olympics:Antwerp Olympics were the first in which the Olympic Oath uttered, the first in which doves were released to symbolize peace, and was the first time the Olympic Flag was flown. Finland athlete Paavo Numi - one of the greatest distance runners ever- won the 10,000m and 8,000m cross country, took another gold in team cross country, and a silver in 5,000 m run. His contributions for Finland broke the U.S. dominance record in track and field with 9 medals. In a unique moment in Olympic history, the 12 foot dinghy event in sailing was held in two different countries. The final two races in the event were held in the Nethelands as the only two competitors in the event were Dutch. A total of 29 nations participated in the Antwerp Games

1924- Paris Olympics:The Olympic motto Citius, Altius, Fortius (Faster, Higher, Stronger), was used for the first time. The "Flying Finns" dominated the long distance running in Paris. Paavo Numi won the 1500 m and 5000 m and the cross country run Ville Ritola won the 10000 m and the 3000 m steeplechase, while finishing second to Nurmi on the 5000 m and cross country. Albin Stenroos won the marathon, while the Finnish team (with Nurmi and Ritola) was victorious in the 3000 m and cross country team events. Paris edition was the first to build an Olympic village.A total of 44 nations were represented at the 1924 Games.

1928- Amsterdam Olympics: For the first time, the Olympic Flame was lit during the Olympics. In Olympics for the first time, the parade of nations started with Greece, which holds the origins of the Olympics, and ended with the host country, a tradition which continues today. Johnny Weissmuller, who later appeared in several Tarazan movies, won two gold medals in swimming. India took first ever gold in hockey here, the beginning of a winning streak which continued until 1956 with six gold medals won during the period. Amsterdam Olympics were the first to bear the name "Summer Olympic Games". A total of 46 nations were represented at the Amsterdam Games.

1932- Los Angeles Olympics:US President Herbert Hoover did not attend the Los Angeles Olympics , becoming the first sitting head of government to not appear at an Olympics hosted in that country. In Hockey India defeated US by a huge margin of 24-1. Poland's Stanislawa Walasiewiczs won the gold medal in the women's 100 meters; she also won the silver medal in the event four years later. After her death in 1980 was discovered that she was intersex and would have been ineligible to participate. Mahatma Gandhi took part in the games as a press reporter in Los Angeles Olympics .A total of 37 nations were represented at the 1932 Games.

1936-Berlin Olympics:The Nazis saw Berlin Olympics as a way to promote their ideology. Hitler was using the games to show the world a resurgent Nazi Germany. He and other government officials had high hopes German athletes and Aryan suprimacy. However Jesse Owens an Afro-American athlete had other plans and with his athletisism he proved Hitler wrong. In fact this issue was known more as Owens ' Games than Hitlor... .On Aug 3, he won the 100m sprint, defeating Ralph Metcalfe, the following day the won the long jump event and next day he added two more gold medals (200m and 4X100 relay) to his kitty. The Berlin Games was the first Oly event to be telecasted. Basketball, Polo, Canoeing and Handball were the new disciplines included. Also the gritty German athlete Luz Llong publicly befriended Jesse Owens and he did it before Nazi police. The Berlin Games saw the introduction of Oly Torch relay. A total of 49 nations attended the Berlin Olympics.